Methods of this kind are crucially important in order to ensure the accuracy of fuel metering in the case of small injection volumes. If the small injection volumes are not accurate, the strict exhaust emission standards for diesel passenger vehicle engines cannot be complied with. There are two basic developments in order to minimize the injector's tendency toward injector dispersion. This can be effected on the one hand by means of a highly precise and very expensive injector manufacturing process. In said process all the injectors are measured on the production line and the injectors lying outside the narrow tolerance are separated out and rejected. On the other hand methods are known which compensate for the injector's tendency toward injector dispersion while the engine is in operation. For example, it can be ascertained by way of a knock sensor of the internal combustion engine which control parameters are necessary in order to activate the individual injector so that fuel will currently be injected (switching leakage). It is disadvantageous in this case that the activation condition of the method is dependent on the driving behavior of the driver. In order to establish the idle stroke by means of a method of said kind it is necessary that the operating condition of the internal combustion engine remains unchanged for a certain period of time. If this corresponding period of time is interrupted due to the driver's driving behavior, the process of determining the idle stroke cannot be completed in full.